Erik ten Hag is astounded by the escalation of the dispute with Jadon Sancho.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is dumbfounded by the escalation of his altercation with Jason Sancho.
Ten Hag omitted the England winger from his squad for the journey to Arsenal because he felt the £73 million signing needed to be reminded of the standards expected following a string of subpar performances in training.
According to sources close to Ten Hag, he believed Sancho’s omission would give the 23-year-old the boost he felt he required.
Sancho responded to Ten Hag’s criticism with an incendiary post on his X account (previously Twitter), alleging he was being made a scapegoat for the team’s erratic start to the season. Since nearly a week, the post has been posted to the top of Sancho’s account.
Ten Hag believes the issue has been exaggerated and that it can still be resolved, with Sancho remaining in his plans if he proves his worth.
However, the former Ajax manager is adamant that he cannot tolerate an explicit challenge to his authority from a player.
It is believed that Ten Hag would not have obstructed Sancho’s move to the Saudi Pro League if Manchester United had been able to negotiate a transfer for the former Borussia Dortmund star.
Al-Ettifaq, the club of Steven Gerrard, desired to loan the winger but would not accept a £50 million obligation to purchase.
United were also willing to consider offers for Jadon Sancho during the transfer window, although moving other out-of-favor players was a higher priority.
Last year, Ten Hag discussed the mental difficulties Sancho has encountered since returning to Manchester two years ago. The winger was sent to the Netherlands to participate in an individualized training program designed to assist him.
But United’s manager is also aware that one of his most expensive players will eventually have to establish his worth.
Sancho now ranks behind Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellestri in the ranking order at Old Trafford, which means he faces an uphill battle to regain his manager’s favor.
Erik ten Hag is astounded by the escalation of the dispute with Jadon Sancho.